Heads Up: Update

Okay, so I have a good news/bad news situation to apprise you guys of.
I got a bad batch of rubber. I caught this before any of the last orders went out... But that means that those of you that ordered the last group of Murks, are going to have to wait a couple of extra days, for my replacement rubber to get here.

You're probably asking, "Well where is this good news?"

Well, it's here: "I'm going to double all of the orders for those that ordered and are waiting. If you ordered one set of Murks, you're getting two. If you ordered two, you're getting four."

I apologize for the delay, but I'm not going to send you guys half-assed toys.

-Jimmy

Ironhaus x Miyuki Morris Original Artwork

So, I teased over on the Ironhaus Facebook page that I'd have some artwork becoming available soon...

And here it is. Ol' Rommel has teamed up with Miyuki Morris on some Ironhaus Universe artwork, featuring some of your favorite characters. The first two available pieces are featuring Deadface from Universe of Violence, and an upcoming project that I am going to grief you by not talking about right now.

This first piece is called "Pile of Bodies", featuring Deadface and a host of poor saps that probably should have called in sick that day. The piece is 5"x7", and was sketched by me, watercolored by Ms. Morris, and inked by me. 

Here's a candid shot of Miyuki working on the colors for the other available piece, "Morning in Apocalypse". This piece is 7"x9", and is also  sketched my me/watercolored by Miyuki/inked by me. We've got several more pieces in the works, including a fun Deadface vs Hell Turtle piece that I am pretty pleased with. 

These are going on sale in the Ironhaus Store, over at Storenvy, today. I may, or may not do an announcement for when the other pieces will go for sale, but keep an eye out. 
-R

Help With Armature Building, AKA: Foil Wizardry

I have gotten numerous emails recently, asking for tips with making armatures out of foil. I promised loyal Horde members, that I would write up a brief tutorial (and I use the phrase "tutorial" very loosely) on the topic, so here we go!

First, I start off with standard aluminum foil. It doesn't have to be anything fancy, you can use uncoated wire, too (operating under the assumption that you are working with a polymer based clay; folks using Apoxie, or other air-cure products, it doesn't really matter if the wire is coated or not). One common theme that I have read in those emails, is that folks like to twist the foil. I never twist the foil (wouldn't the Hanson brothers be ashamed?). Twisting it, leads to weakening it, which may not seem like a big deal, but it can be a very big deal, if your seam/joint breaks, and you have to try to go back and fix it. I simply mash the foil together in the relative shape that the piece is going to be in. Also, keep in mind how this you want your piece to be, and work your armature to be quite a bit thinner. There are few things as frustrating, as not being able to carve in details deep enough because you made your armature too thick.

I then take a little bit of the clay (I swear by KATO Polyclay), and I fortify the joints, so that I don't get any cracking in the armpits or in the crotch of the figure (should I accidentally apply too much pressure. And yeah, I totally realize all of the "crotch pressure" jokes that I just stumbled into. Anyways...). 

After that, I go ahead, and apply a thin coat of the clay to the rest of the armature, to help keep it from warping while baking. I can't tell you how many times in the past, I went with just a foil armature, and had legs/arms warp while baking under the weight of the wet clay. I do a thin layer over the torso and the legs, and anything I want to add on top of that, I can be confident will stay where I put it before placing it into the oven.

Finally, while the clay is still uncured, I take an edged tool, and I score the clay. This helps any clay I add on after baking the armature, grip to the frame. Otherwise, you can find that your clay slides around on the smooth surface of the already baked clay. 

Anyways, that's basically it. As you work with different products, you'll find methods that best suit the methods that YOU feel comfortable using. Definitely go with what helps you work. For me, the durability of the sculpt is very important to me, especially pieces I know I am sending off to other artists.

Always feel free to message me with questions... Making toys isn't a secret society, at least it shouldn't be in my opinion. Periodically, I'll respond to frequently asked questions with words and pictures that I think may prove helpful. Good luck with your sculpts, mighty Ironhaus Horde! I look forward to seeing the universe that you fill with your imaginations!

-R

Still Trying to Figure This One Out?

 

And then, how about this little guy? It's nice to see a familiar face, now and again, isn't it?
-R

Ironhaus x Man-E-Toys, August Sale

 Just another reminder, that your chance to pick up both Horde figure sets is still going on for the duration of the month. You can buy the figures as singles, as well as buying them as full sets (three figures, also saves you a little money) AND you have a selection of colors to choose from!
Go to the Man-E-Toys Store to find these, as well as the Deka Manzilla from Nama Niku, and the full range of toys from Zectron (including the Critter, MBOD, Kesh-E-Faces, and others). Go, and tell 'em that Rommel sent you.

-R

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Whoa, Gentlemen of Violence:The Meme?

So, apparently Universe/Gentlemen of Violence faithful, John Morey had some time on his hands and whipped up this amusing GoV meme, that is now circulating Facebook... What've YOU got?
(Check out John's articles at Nerditis, as he geeks you up on some toy love.)

-R

The Murks, NOW

Murks NOW available at The Ironhaus toy Store!

The Forgotten Ones II

So, a while back, I did a feature showing one of my early sculpts... This time, I dug deep, and found one of my first ones... And booooy is it a doozy.

This fine (haha) specimen, was one of my very first attempts at sculpting a MUSCLE scale figure, and boy is it obvious. This piece of shit was sculpted in one take... No armature, no real planning or design scheme... I just took a hunk of Sculpey and went to work. If I recall, I didn't even have any tools at the time, so I did all of the detailing with an ink pen cap (although, it looks like I used a prison shiv). 

Because I just went to town with a hunk of raw clay, there are fingerprints all over this guy, and I essentially warped/mashed every detail, every time I turned the figure around to work on a different part. His toes are pointed down, because A) I didn't take the time to give him any lower body definition and B) when I baked him, they sagged because there was no "skeletal" support. He's essentially the classic case of young children drawing: They draw what they think is there, not what they SEE is there. He has a head, arms legs and torso... And that's essentially it. I gave him what appears to be a belt, and what appears to be a crotch seam  (like on jeans). The seam on his crotch looks like the dude is carrying his wiener outside of his pants. Holy hell, this is a terrible figure.

However, it had to happen. One foot in front of the other, begins a journey.

Here he is next to some of my more recent work, and honestly, I am proud at how far I have come. I also have a long way to go. The whole point to doing this feature, is to illustrate just why you shouldn't get discouraged if your first couple of attempts don't turn out right. Just keep putting in the work, you'll get there eventually. 

Anyhow, that is all for this installment of "The Forgotten Ones".

Keep your eyeses on the prizes folks,
-R